


Security Contractor

by patchfire, raving_liberal



Series: Purimgifts 2015 [3]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 3, Gen, Phone Calls & Telephones, Post-Season/Series 06 Finale, Purim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-03-16 01:06:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3468716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patchfire/pseuds/patchfire, https://archiveofourown.org/users/raving_liberal/pseuds/raving_liberal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She puts on her boots and a coat over her pajamas before stepping outside onto the patio, then types in the international number she has memorized.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Security Contractor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lirin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lirin/gifts).



After all of the Purim festivities are over and El is sure that Peter is going to sleep well, she sets an alarm for three am, planning to tell Peter she thought she needed to pump if he does wake up. He doesn’t, however, and she walks quietly downstairs with her cell phone. She puts on her boots and a coat over her pajamas before stepping outside onto the patio, then types in the international number she has memorized. It rings twice before she can hear it pick up. 

A soft voice answers, “ _Bonjour?_ ”

“What name should I be using?” El asks, smiling widely at the familiar sound. 

“El!” Neal says, sounding surprised. “Neal is fine. Nobody’s monitoring this line. I’m just the security contractor.”

“Is there a good place I can send pictures? I don’t think I can explain why an FBI agent’s wife is emailing art museums in Paris.” 

“Stick them in with a request for a loan of a piece,” Neal suggests. “You can say you attached the wrong images and emailed the wrong person.”

“My head is _really_ in the clouds. Do you know that my husband still hasn’t figured it out, speaking of people with their heads in the clouds.” 

“Sometimes people can’t see what’s right in front of them,” Neal says.

“Sometimes they don’t want to, or can’t let themselves. I do have one question, though,” El says. 

Neal’s tone is more than a little cagey when he says, “Okay?”

“How on earth did you know I was Jewish?” 

“I guessed,” Neal says. 

“No, you didn’t!” El says. 

“Okay, I just read people really well,” Neal says.

“You forget, I _know_ you’re a liar,” El says. “How did you _really_ know?” 

Neal laughs softly. “You got me. I read it in your file at Rebecca’s. I didn’t mention it to Peter, because I knew he’d freak out that she had a file on you.”

El sighs. “Please tell me the file didn’t include any pictures from my bat mitzvah.”

“The file didn’t include any pictures from your bat mitzvah,” Neal says. 

El frowns, not sure if she should believe Neal on this one, but she drops it. “Not even Mozzie knew until I invited him over for dinner on the last night of Hanukkah.” 

“So you’re keeping an eye on Mozzie for me, then?” Neal asks. “That’s good.”

“Of course I am. He brings me chocolate torte.” 

“Did the baby wear his costume?” Neal asks. 

“He did. He liked all of the gifts, actually, but I think Peter hopes they aren’t a flash into his future,” El says. “You’ll have to do something more obvious for him to catch on.” 

“He’ll figure it out,” Neal says. “He needed this, time to be a dad, not having to worry about me.”

El smiles. “We love you too, Neal.” 

“You’re the best, and none of us deserve you,” Neal says. 

“Maybe Mozzie does,” she says jokingly. “Keep an eye out for those misdirected images, okay?” 

“I will,” Neal says. “You take care, El.”

“You too, Neal,” El says softly before ending the call and heading back to bed. When she gets up in the morning, she’ll send Neal a few of the pictures of Neal in his Purim costume, and eventually, Peter will ask her for Neal’s phone number.


End file.
